In fact you can mail the Australian Christian Lobby just about anything you like (although keep it classy folks), and they’ll pay for it, because as it turns out the ACL – chief opponents of marriage equality in Australia – has a ‘reply paid’ service with Australia Post. Honestly, won’t someone please think of the children….?
You might be asking, how do we know about their ‘super secret tell no-one’ reply paid service?
Late last night, ACL boss Lyle Shelton tweeted out a picture which was supposed to portray him and his organisation as the ‘victims’ in the marriage equality debate (ironically, that might just end up coming true). He included the original envelope in the photo… and right there on the front, in all its heavenly glory, is a ‘reply paid’ address for all to see.
Here’s the tweet… and note, we’ve had to blur a section of the photo out for reasons that you’re definitely going to want to know (read to the end of the article).
For those unfamiliar with a reply paid service, it means you don’t have to a put a stamp on your envelope. You just address your letter, pop it in the mail and the muppet at the other end will pick up the tab.
Speaking of which, this is what a muppet looks like. And sounds like.
As chief of staff and then CEO of the ACL, Shelton has led the push against marriage equality in Australia for almost decade, earning him the international ‘Daniel of the Year’ award from US Christian group World Magazine last year (yes, it’s a real award, no we couldn’t be arsed looking up what a ‘Daniel of the Year Award’ actually is because it we’re worried the collective IQ of the New Matilda office will actually drop if we’re exposed to it).
But here’s how World Magazine described the shocking oppression that Shelton and his flock suffer every day.
“As the marriage debate Down Under grew more intense in 2016, so did attacks on religious liberty. Gay activists took an archbishop to court for distributing a booklet, ‘Don’t Mess with Marriage.’ A printing company refused to print a doctor’s book about marriage just before the book’s scheduled launch. A Christian group’s reservation of a hotel meeting room led to threats of violence against hotel staff members. A major accounting firm forced one of its senior executives to resign from the board of a Christian organization. A state “Anti-Discrimination Commission” treated a marriage-defending newspaper column as hate speech.
Oh, the humanity.
Speaking of which, you can help send a little Lyle’s way at the following address: ‘Australian Christian Lobby, Reply Paid 83063, Deakin ACT 2600.’ A little internet sleuthing reveals at least one bright spark has already discovered it, and is way ahead of us, and Lyle.
On an unrelated note… I believe the Australian Christian Lobby’s address is ACL, Reply Paid 83063, Deakin 2600 (no need for a stamp)
— Clare Paine (@Clare_Paine) August 14, 2017
Our advice – don’t waste your letter with just glitter. Let Shelton and his ilk know exactly what you think of their campaign to scuttle the concept of equality before the law.
And now the readers note: We blurred the photo above because it included a meme about Catholic Cardinal George Pell being an (alleged) child molester. We did so because Pell is currently before the courts, and to publish it would be in contempt of court.
Shelton, however, did publish it… on his Twitter feed. And it’s still there at the time of press. Someone might like to bring that to the attention of the Melbourne Magistrates Court. Unfortunately, they don’t have a reply paid service, but their address is ‘Melbourne Magistrates Court, GPO Box 882, Melbourne 3001.’
* PLEASE CONSIDER SHARING THIS STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: New Matilda is a small independent Australian media outlet. You can support our work by subscribing for as little as $6 per month here. The author of this article Facebooks here, tweets here.